Draíodóir
by Kindred insanity
Summary: My life's normal. I want it to stay that way. I have a gorgeous boyfriend but why does Miguel stir me up so much? I have a great family, yet I'm adopted. Amber's changing, Miguel causing it and what's worse, I think I'm changing too. Great. MiguelOc,KAmbe
1. Default Chapter

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Disclaimer: I do not own beyblade. Kirby Nicole Preston-Lee, Alyssa Helen Preston Lee, and Julia Anne Preston-Lee all belong to me. Amber Marie Benson and the Benson family belong to Zadien. Shahero Kaeto and Hiroshi Kaeto belong to Coors. Miyami Kinomiya belongs to Unlucky-Star.

Summary: My life's always gone pretty well. I'm the youngest in a family of all girls so I've never gone through anything first in my life. Someone has always been there to offer advice because they've done everything before me. But now my boyfriends half brother has shown up. He's corrupted my cousin Amber with this whole wicca thing, and he makes me feel edgy. Something's coming to Bakuten and for the first time in my life, I'm scared. No one can give me advice on what's going to happen, I'm in this on my own.

A.N. By all means, ignore my other fics. I wrote them hastily without a proper plot and Kirby wasn't herself but another version of Amber. That's not going to get me brownie points on this site. I want people to like Kirby for who she is. Yes she will be like Amber, she's looked up to her cousin for most of her life, but Kirby is a different person with different beliefs. This fic looks promising, Zadien's been working on it with me for which I'm really grateful. Hopefully it won't be too much like any other fics on this site, it will be like Zadien's I suppose because I've been really influenced by her writing, and also it'll also have some similarities to the amazing series called Wicca or Sweep by Cate Tiernan, a great group of books, but I'll hopefully put my stamp on it and keep it from being too much like the stories by those two fantastic writers.

So here we go:

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Chapter One: Family

September 1987

She comes. I sense it on the wind. I have tried so many times to hide from her but always she finds me. Scrying tells me nothing about my daughter or how she will survive. I know she will be safe, safe without any knowledge of her heritage, of what flows through her blood. Sometimes I dream that she will find out about her life, I hope that will never happen, yet I yearn for it. I want her to know the joys and the woes of magick. But she won't. Wicca is dying, no one believes any more, but I have a feeling that in time they will all feel the power of what they spent so much time denying. I hope for their sake that they are able to save themselves. The darkness is rising. I have sent my daughter to a family who will raise her right, there is such power in their love for each other, I have witnessed it. She will not be alone and she will be loved. I cannot ask for anything more. I must go now, for she is here. I will meet my fate, but I will not go without a fight.

  
  
September 2004

Family is an extremely important thing. Society pounds that into our heads from a very early age. It's a social norm. You see them on the TV, read about them in books and see examples of them around you. The family nucleus is formed by your parents and your siblings, should you have any, and the outer ring is your immediate family, those who share your blood. There are so many forms of family's, the norm is a mother, father and 2.4 children. What does the .4 stand for anyway? But there are other types, you have single parent families, step-families, adopted families. They say blood is thicker than water, but it's not true though. It's love. Love is what will always pull you through.

My family is the perfect example. They're the perfect family, I suppose. Very Walton-ish. We're not all blood related but we love each other.

I was thinking this as I sat in the den of my Uncle Seth's home in Bakuten. My cousin Daichi was sprawled over the sofa, my sister Alyssa was lying on the floor, filling in some paper on something or other, while periodically glancing up at the screen. Daichi's half brother Ozuma was talking on the phone to his girlfriend while shovelling popcorn into his mouth and making random gestures at the TV. My Uncle Seth, Daichi's biological father and Ozuma's step-father was exchanging heated opinions with his youngest son and when he didn't win he settled for kicking him lightly with his foot. My Uncle James, Seth's brother was looking over some of his legal papers, but he stopped to sip his beer or curse the referee which would make Seth laugh. In the distance, in other words the kitchen, my mother, and her sister-in-law Aubrey (Seth's wife) were talking over coffee after having served us our Sunday meal. My aunt Treasa (James ex-wife) had left earlier to go to the hospital. She's a nurse and is doing the night shift tonight.

As I said, my family's the perfect example of how blood don't mean dick. I'm not blood related to anyone in this room. I'm adopted, as is Alyssa. But it doesn't matter because we got adopted into this real odd but amazingly great family. The Benson's are unlike any other family I've ever encountered. Some people find them unbelievable. But they're not. Because they're sitting right in front of me, complaining about the call the referee just made. I can't resent being adopted, I actually think my birth mother gave me the greatest gift ever by losing me. Not everyone can say that, but these people made me who I am today. I can't resent that.

"Bullshit!"

"Daichi!" Seth winced, scratching his jaw and casting a glance towards the kitchen in case his wife heard. Aubrey frowns on cursing, as does Treasa and they'll cuff you if you do it in their presence. I don't know how Amber gets through each day, she single handedly curses more times than anyone else I know. Her mother's hand must get sore.

"What? It was complete bullshit, he wasn't off-side."

"Fair point." Ozuma agreed. "What did she say to that?"

"Who?" Daichi demanded squinting at the screen. "Is that a 3 or 2?"

"What?"

I giggled at the two boys. Ozuma was talking to Sonia his girlfriend so he wasn't paying much attention to Daichi and Daichi didn't even realise Ozuma was on the phone. It was amusing. "It's a 3, Henderson got that goal before the buzzer, they couldn't discount it."

"Good man, Henderson!"

"Ah Jeez!" Seth cursed throwing his hands into the air. "What? Is that ref. blind?"

"He's must be colour blind!" James shouted. "Stupid fucker!"

"James!"

"Sorry Anne."

Yeah this is my family on a typical Sunday afternoon. After church everyone heads round to Aubrey's and we get our Sunday dinner then we collapse in the den and throw obscenities at whoever's on the T.V. It's great. Though recently, Amber, my older cousin, hasn't been coming to church preferring to hang out somewhere else with her friends. I think she goes to the Friars Rest, the local diner, to do her homework with her friends, the alluringly captivating Miyami Kinomiya and the Scottish rebel with the musical brogue Johnny McGregor who are dating. But she comes for the dinner after wards though. At the moment she was outside with her boyfriend Kai Hiwatari. He's been away for the past two weeks on holiday so she wanted some time with him. No doubt she'll come in looking dazed and satisfied after a good bout of groping in a little while. Which will be nice to see. Kai's good for her, but it took her ages to realise that. He's an extended member of our family, the Hiwatari's were adopted into the Benson's when Nicolai and James became conjoined twins, or so Nana Benson tells it. Kai is James' and Treasas' god son and Amber is Nicolais' and Jeans' god daughter.

I told you my family's odd.

"Kirbaby what's the score now?"

I winced at the childish nickname. Amber was the baby brat, then I came along being younger still and they changed my name from Kirby to Kirbaby and now they can't actually call me by my given name anymore. Sometimes I wonder what my birth mother would have called me, and then again, other times I don't care. I'm Kirby Nicole Preston-Lee, daughter of Mary-Anne Preston-Lee (née Benson) and Crane Preston-Lee of the New York Prestons' and the Yorkshire Lee's. Which means he's big money, though I get a piss poor allowance.

"I don't know Zum-Zum. Oh say hello to Sons for me."

Ozuma cast me a look of disdain for the childish nickname I came up with when I couldn't pronounce his name properly. Ozuma isn't incredibly gorgeous as some of the guys I know are, but it's his eyes that catch you. That and his hair. His hair is a charcoal black with a vibrant streak of red which relieves the dull shade and catches peoples' eyes. His eyes are a jade green which can pierce you when he knows you're up to something. Ozuma's very responsible and takes things very seriously at times, sometimes he takes himself too seriously. It's to do with his Dad I guess and to keep a reign on his chaotic baby brother. But I've looked up to Ozuma as an older brother figure, since I was very young when Daichi and I played, Ozuma would take care of us being a year older, so much more mature.

"Sons says hi."

"Ozuma, you'll see the girl tomorrow." Seth said with a roll of his green eyes flecked with amber.

"That's hours away, Seth, what are you thinking? Besides I remember you phoning your girlfriends all the time, even an hour after seeing them."

"At least I was phoning my girlfriends, you were always on the phone to Nicky, Nana was beginning to worry about you."

I snickered; I couldn't help it. Watching Seth and James rib each other was funny to me, but still it was weird to think of them being young like Daichi and Ozuma. You just believe that grown ups were born grown up. Nana laughed when I said that to her. Nana Molly, she's an amazing woman. A matriarch. She raised her five children single handed when her husband William-James Benson died. She still runs the farm back in Ireland, even though most of her family fled to Bakuten. Rory still lives there and Ciara moved back to Ireland after her marriage broke up leaving her son Bryan with Treasa.

There's always been a Benson in Bakuten, well apart from William-James, he grew up here, but then he left on a trip to his homeland and met Molly, fell in love and raised a family there on the farm, but his children all came back to Bakuten. Supposedly some of our ancestors were the first Irish settlers on this little town tucked into the coast of America. That's kind of cool. Amber once said that it was a haven for different cultures and races, she's right. No where else would you find such an eclectic mix of different races. You have loads of Russian, Japanese, Chinese, some Scottish, French, German, Italian, Spanish and so on and so on. There are Americans' of course, other wise it would just be very weird.

"Dammit!" Daichi yelled and got swatted by Seth. "Aw come off it, that was a dive!"

"Ah for crying out loud!" James snarled as we watched our enforcer being frog marched into the penalty box, two minutes for hooking when it was an obvious dive.

"Kai, honey, do you want tea?"

I glanced up as Aubrey's voice floated through the arch way opening. Kai refused it and entered the den, casting a glance of greeting to everyone in the room, before taking a seat and his eyes were glued to the screen. How to describe Kai? Well he's gorgeous, and very intense at times, I feel. He keeps a tight reign on Amber, but he can enjoy her childish nature too. His eyes are a dark pools of mahogany and since Amber has a thing for brown eyes, that's a good thing. His has two toned blue hair, powder blue and a shade lighter then navy but darker than royal blue. His skin is beige, Japanese skin lightened by his father's Russian blood. He's tall around 6ft maybe an inch or so shorter, which is handy for Amber's 5ft 3" height. He has a nice build too, not too well built that he could steam roll you easily, but he's got good shoulders and most of his height is made up of leg.

"Who's in the penalty box?"

"Beauford, got done for hooking. Cheap dive, the ref's biased." Daichi answered Kai without looking away from the TV.

"Daichi in every game you watch the ref. is biased."

"Alyssa, you're never there for every game I watch."

"Ah, but I am and Lyss speaks the truth." I answered with a mocking grin.

"Hey-"

"Ssh!" Seth snapped irritated as Amber walked in blowing on her mug of tea before sipping delicately on it. She shot Seth a glare before taking a seat on the sofa with me. She held her mug letting it warm her hands. There's something about tea that is very comforting. There seems to be a reason why everyone keeps offering you tea when you have a shock or anything else. I think there's a possibility that we get addicted. I once heard Seth complaining about the electricity being off and that he wouldn't be able to get himself a nice cup of tea and when the power comes back on, the first thing everyone does is make a nice cup of tea. It's amusing, but I'm the same.

"Guess who I just saw." Amber suddenly spoke in a stage whisper.

Ozuma leaned over towards her, now finished with his phone call. "Who?"

"Guess."

"Mikel Davidoff." Kai answered in a monotone earning a searing look from his girlfriend.

"Oh yeah." I looked over to where Daichi rolled lazily on to his back to look at us. "He emailed me to say he was back in the country."

I looked up surprised. Last I heard Mikel had still been in London I didn't even know he and Daichi still kept in touch, but obviously they did. The Davidoff's had always lived next-door to Daichi and since Mikel was only a year older, he and Daichi had formed a tight friendship. I only knew Mikel through his association to my cousin. But still I wondered why Foxy hadn't told me.

James Fox, my boyfriend, is Mikel's half brother. They share the same father and the same colouring, though Foxy's more vivid and striking. They've never got along, in fact they despise each other and don't hide it. I can understand Foxy's hatred for Mikel after all, his father left him and his mother and had Mikel. He has every right to be resentful. But Mikel just envies Foxy.

I wonder if Foxy knows his brother's back from London. Mikel went to England about 5 years ago and idly I wondered how much he changed before I immediately dismissed it. I was with Foxy and me and Mikel had never really been friends. He'd always made me uneasy.

"So how does he look?" Alyssa wondered.

Amber thought for a moment before answering. "Good. _Really_ gorgeous but not in the obvious way Foxy or Tala are but you can see they're related, that's how I could tell it was him. And he has the cultured, cool accent as well. Not the cockney one, but the one the boys from Eton have."

I rolled my eyes. "He didn't go to Eton." At least I was pretty sure he didn't.

Amber glowered. "I didn't say he did. I was using that as an example, I could have also said, like the guys from Oxford or Cambridge have."

Alyssa sighed "God that accent's incredibly sexy."

"Mmm-Hmm."

"Benson, do I have to remind you whose girlfriend you are?"

Amber rolled her beautiful ochre eyes. "I was just saying. You should go to England and get the accent."

Kai snorted and I had to agree with him.

"The accent would make him sound pompous."

Amber looked at me coolly and I fought the urge to fidget. When she looks at Kai in that way, how does he not confess all his secrets? Instead I looked away.

"Well it would." I grumbled.

"It doesn't. It suits him. Look Kirby, I know you-"

"Whoo! Oh yeah! He slap shot that sucker!" Daichi leapt to his feet and initiated a little boogie in front of the TV as Seth yelled at him to sit his fat ass down.

"What happened? Huh?" Amber looked from Kai to Ozuma who shrugged and with an exaggerated sigh he got to his feet and left the room.

"We scored and we got a 2 minute power play before it ends."

"It's all ready over." Daichi sang, then jerked digging his phone out. "Oh, I'm vibrating."

"Why does everyone feel they have to announce that?" Amber demanded.

Kai shrugged. "Your family tells each other everything."

I caught the way Amber fell silent. It made me wonder what that was about. Silently I studied my cousin. Amber doesn't see herself the way others do. Her skin is that gold of Spain, still smooth and fresh from youth with a faint flush from her meeting with Kai. Her mouth is small but full and often gets her in trouble. There's an old Irish saying that 'It is often a man's mouth broke his nose.' That's a good saying for Amber. Her eyes are long, heavily lashed and are a beautiful ochre colour that seems to have a light of their own. Her gypsy looks are hardened by the sharp Celtic angular features.

Next to Amber's exotic fairy looks, I feel like a freak, not frumpy and plain like I do next to my best friend Miriam, or Amber's best friend Miyami Kinomiya. My hair is jaggedly cut just lower than my jaw. It's black with an equal amount of deep dark teal green streaks with electric blue glints when the light catches it. Most of the time it just looks black thankfully. My eyes on the other hand are garnet, a deep cherry red colour that changes shades with my moods. My skin tone is peaches and cream, more peaches due to the amount of time I spent out in the sun, though I'm pale compared to Foxy's Californian tan. My features aren't as sharp as Amber's and I still have some of my baby fat in my face so it's roundish. Apart from my eyes, there isn't much else noticeable about me. I'm not tall which bugs me, I'm roughly 5ft 2", maybe a little less. I'm not skinny, just not curvy either. I have no hips but I do have breasts. I realised that when my male friends couldn't look at my face for a couple of days after the start of eighth grade.

"Hey Kirbaby, do you want me to walk you to school tomorrow?"

I snapped my gaze away from Amber, to Daichi. "Yup sure."

"Me, Ty and Hero'll meet y'all in the park."

At this, Kai looked at Amber. "You'll never be up on time, I'll drive you."

Amber smiled. "Aww, isn't he sweet? Letting me sleep in."

I chuckled. _Depends where she'll be sleeping_. Oh Dammit. "Um, Foxy might be driving me to school."

Daichi scowled, his fascinating forest green eyes flared. "You always walk with us."

His milky white skin flushed under his light sprinkling of freckles giving him a boyish charm. His short red hair stood up in restless spike. Recently he's begun to grow into his body so his arms and legs don't look long and gangly anymore. He looks good, and a good amount of the female student body agrees with me.

"Well I wasn't always dating Foxy." I pointed out with what I believed was admirable patience.

"You've blown me, Ty and Joe off loads of times this summer for Fox, and Miriam says you've also blown off her."

I winced. He was right, I had. Him pointing it out made me feel small. "I'm sorry."

"Look." Alyssa began calmly while the other continued watching the game tuning our regular argument out. "This is Kirby's first serious boyfriend. You're all important to her. It's just going to take a while for her to adjust her life to fit you all in."

I looked at Lyss and smiled in gratitude. Lyss looks completely different from me and she reminds me of a rabbit, though I don't know why. She has pale pink almost white hair which falls below her waist. Her longish thick bangs fall into her Siberian blue eyes. Her skin is very pale cream, flawless and clear. She is all and has a model figure. Everything about her exudes quiet, tranquil strength and intelligence. She's beautiful because she's kind, generous and wants to help everyone. I love her very much even though she'd not my blood sister.

My sister Julia on the other hand is bold opinionated and strong willed. She's the eldest and has always looked after us. Though me and her fought a regularly about everything, I still love her dearly. She's maybe an inch shorter than Lyss, though her figures about the same. Her brown hair is long and her bangs stop just above her bi-colour eyes, one green, and one blue. I always wanted her eyes and hair as a child. I even once tried to die my hair because she told me to do it. We got in so much trouble for that.

I miss her every day.

Last month she found out she was pregnant and due to pressure from the father and Dad, she ran away. I'm pretty sure she's with Nana Molly in Ireland; she just hasn't got in contact yet.

"You should be more supportive, DC. You've blown Kirby off plenty of times when you have a girlfriend."

Daichi just pouted knowing Amber was right. I doubt the fact that I had a boyfriend bothered Daichi; it's just that he doesn't like Foxy. I guess if your Mikel's friend then you can't like Foxy and vice versa.

"Sorry Kirbaby."

I smiled wryly at him. Technically I am in the wrong, I shouldn't blow off an age old tradition just because I have a boyfriend. Family's more important, right? "It's ok D.C. If you come over around eight, I should be up and ready. Besides I'm sure Foxy won't mind." But even as I said that, I wondered if he would.

I turned back to the game and noticed that the opposition was on a breakaway; racing towards our nets as our defence lay on the ice.

"Oh shit! Get up! Get up!"

Seth was gripping the seat so tight his knuckles were white. James had lost interest in his work. Amber was on the edge of her seat gripping Kai's outstretched hand while Lyss was on her knees beside Daichi clutching his hand.

"Where's our defence?" Ozuma yelled from out in the hall.

"Asleep on the job!" Amber shouted back.

"Come on, come on, dammit!"

"Seth!"

"Not now Aubrey!"

"Oh please don't let them score!" Amber pleaded.

I wanted to cover my eyes as the stick whipped back then surged forward, it struck the puck and sent it sailing through the air so fast it was just a black blur. Oh God, Oh god, oh please. The goalie dived, then there was an eerie silence as though time had stopped.

"Did he get it?" Amber whispered.

"I don't know." Kai replied absently stroking her hand. "I think so."

"I don't hear any siren." Seth murmured slowly beginning to perk up.

"No me neither." Ozuma added appearing in the door way.

Suddenly the buzzer sounded ending the game.

"Yes!"

I listened to the roars and cheers and laughed with my family. I jolted as my phone rang. Punching the green button, I didn't look at ID screen.

"Hello?"

"Losers! Losers! Oh yeah, we rocked! Were you watching?"

"'Lo, Dunga! It was awesome. Did you see that save? Totally bitching! They have such a great chance this year, I can't wait for the next match. Maybe this year they'll reach the play-offs. If they do, I'm totally going to it."

"Cool!" In the background I could here Joseph Magee, one of my other close friends jeering the losing team. "I can't wait to get our team together again. I'm so psyched!"

I laughed rolling my eyes at his enthusiasm. Dunga Rong is always psyched. He's our teams best enforcer. He's tall and bulky with longish straw blond hair always shoved under his black beanie making his hair paler. He has always been taller and wider than me, so I adopted him as my body guard. I don't know why people think just because he's blond and likes to talk like a surfer, that he's not smart. There's a lot of intelligence in those jade green eyes and that tough weather beaten face. His nose is crooked from when he and Spencer Kaminov got in a fight at a hockey match when they were 10 and 11, respectively. Dunga got a broken nose and Spencer had to get stitches, I don't know how worse it would have been if my cousin Bryan and Steve Martini, Sonia's brother hadn't intervened.

"Just try not get into too much trouble, ok?"

"Trouble? I don't know the meaning of the word."

In the background I heard Joseph saying he didn't doubt that. I laughed and felt a flutter of excitement of being with my friends again after a relatively boring summer.

"Put Kirbs on Sp."

After a click I found myself on speaker phone talking to Joe and Dunga. Joe and I have been friends a very long time. We once dated for a short time when we were 14 but it was a mistake. We'd just hit puberty and hormones were flying everywhere. We'd just got confused. We're still close though, it didn't affect our friendship luckily. At one stage Joe and I were around the same height and then he got this real sudden growth spurt which left him looking awkward. But he's really grown into himself now and he keeps his figure by boxing and playing hockey. His forest green hair is thick and stuck up every where as though he constantly has bed hair. His eyes are the same shade of green as his twin sister Miriam.

"You got everything ready for tomorrow Kirbs?"

"Yeah I'm looking forward to practice but I'll be damned if I'm ready for classes."

"What classes are you taking?"

"Uh..." I trailed off trying to remember what classes I wanted to take. "Science and History, Ams said European history is really interesting."

Amber looked over hearing her name and nodded. "It is if you have Mr. Shallow."

"Hope I get him then." I murmured then turned my attention back to my friends. "Probably Drama and CW."

"What about Law?" Joe asked probably because that was what he would take along with computers, mechanical engineering and a language.

"Nope, not with Doherty taking it, he really had it in for me. I'm not going near him again."

"Bastard." Joe growled.

"What Science Kir?"

"Biology, I've been banned form the Chem. lab after squirting a corrosive liquid which I had believed was water at Kevin by accident and I almost took out Jim's eye."

"Yeah it would be better to keep you away from the Chem. lab." Joe joked.

I didn't think it was funny. Had it been Queen then yeah, I would have locked my socks off, but it liked Kevin and admired Jim's mind; not his personality at times. I wouldn't feel good hurting them.

"Hey you meeting us at you usual place?"

"By the fountain? Yeah sure. I'll see you guys later; Mom's motioning for me to hurry up. She wants to go home." I watched as Mum rolled her blue eyes and mouthed at me to hurry up. Alyssa was pulling her tail of pale hair out of the collar of her deep blue coat. Daichi was up in the kitchen whining for Aubrey to get him something.

"Ok Kirbaby, I'll talk to you later."

"Ok bye guys."

"Bye."

I hung up and shoved my cell into my pocket. I got to my feet, kissed Uncle Seth and James good bye, hugged Ozuma before heading out into the hall.

"Daichi I'm going!" I called out.

"Oh ok." he came out into the hall and gave me a hug. I hugged him back then let him loose on Alyssa.

"Amber do you want a lift to yours?" Mom offered.

"Nah, Kai brought his car." My cousin explained, running a hand through her hair and frowning at her two year old worn sneakers. (A.N. The real ones are four years old, I think we should wish them a happy birthday or give Gems some money to buy new ones. Lol)

She leaned back and pulled her lover's arms around her. Watching them made me ache for Foxy. With Kai living next door to her, she was practically living with him. But I had to wait to see Foxy. Thank god school starts tomorrow.

"You behave yourself then, sweetheart." Mom mock scolded hugging Amber, then kissing Kai's cheek.

"But of course."

Ar ndoigh. I thought, then shook my head. Where the hell did that come from? And what did it mean. Ar ndoigh. Sounded foreign, odd. I looked up and realised that Amber was looking at me. Shaking my head strangely embarrassed, I opened the front door. "Thanks Aubby. That meal was so good, I don't think I'll be able to eat the slop mom feed us."

I laughed and darted out the door before Mom could clip my ear. I stopped down the path and breathed deeply. Something made the air thick and heavy, odd.

Sighing I glanced around me. The sky was blue, the clouds stained with a soft orange from the brilliant glowing rays of the setting sun. I love this neighbourhood. The avenue's gorgeous in Autumn, when the tree's lining the pavement are turning gold and rusty red. The trim green lawns are all perfectly manicured. It's like Pleasantville, everyone does everything around the same time every day and then Seth moves in and starts dismantling his car and engines on the drive. Then Ozuma and Daichi start water balloon fights or through snowballs at unsuspecting victims as they pass below. It's great. There are so many different sides to Bakuten, but for the most part it's a pretty cool place to live. I felt a chill run down my spin and shivered.

"Ooh."

"What?"

I jumped the height of myself and whirled to find Amber and Kai behind me. Kai being the one who had spoke since Amber was scanning the area, her brow furrowed.

"Oh nothing. Someone just walked over my grave."

Kai quirked a slate blue brow and the blue stud in his right lobe winked in the burning light.

"She means she got a shiver down her spine." Amber replied distractedly. She looked as though she was waiting for something, her eyes narrowed and staring off into space.

"You ok?" I wondered.

She snapped her gaze to me and blinked. It was like watching a puppet come to life in front of me, the life just sprang back into her eyes. "Um, yeah, I just feel weird."

"Something wrong?" Kai asked noting where her hand rested below her stomach. Without a word he placed his hand below hers and rubbed in a slow deliberate circles but Amber remained tense and frowning.

I felt a prickle on my neck and glancing over my shoulder I caught a movement of a curtain in one of the upstairs windows next door. Mikel? I thought the name, then frowned. Suddenly the air eased and Amber let out a long slow breath.

"Amber?"

"Nothing. Kirby you ok?"

"Oh yeah. Just caught someone peeping at us."

The door opened and my heart thudded, then I almost laughed as Alyssa came out tossing the car keys in the air and catching them again. "You ready Kirbs?"

"Yup where's mom?"

"She's coming. See you guys later."

"Yup, bye Kirbs, bye Lyss. And if I don't see you before you go to college, good luck." Amber smiled then squirmed as Kai kissed her neck and whispered something in her ear that made her colour rise. "Um, we gotta go."

I grinned. "Bye guys. Have fun."

"Oh it's cold. Come on Kirbs."

I shivered. She was right it was cold. But it was early autumn, the end of summer. It shouldn't be so cold yet, but the goose-bumps on my arms begged to differ. "Ok, ok. Hey Lyss?" I asked as I followed her to mom's silver saloon which she'd parked on the street.

"Yeah?" she bounced on the balls of her feet as she slotted the key in the lock. Mom doesn't believe in alarms. Students only set it off in car lot anyway.

"I'll miss you when you're gone."

She turned to me, her blue eyes large and soft. "Oh Kirby. I'm not leaving for good, I'll come back for the holidays and the odd weekend."

"It won't be the same." I grumbled as we got into the car.

"I know." she turned in the passenger seat to face me. "Especially with Jules gone but you can phone me if you ever need to and you can always go to Amber or your friends. I'm scared too and I envy your ability to make so many different friends."

"Most are only friends with me because I'm Amber's cousin." I pointed out. This is true, Amber makes friends easily; they're attracted to her like moths to a flame.

"Maybe, maybe not. Look Kirby, you'll be fine. I promise."

"Cross your heart and hope to die?"

"Yup." she crossed her fingers over her heart, then she held out her pinkie finger and I hooked mine through it. "We're family, nothing will ever change that."

I smiled then, feeling a lot better but something dark and hungry was at the edge of my happiness. My gaze flicked to the house next door and the curtain fluttered again, as Mom got in the car complaining about the weather, I was sure I saw a flash of platinum blond hair.

Well so far what do you think? I want some reviews telling me what they like or dislike, but flames are just going to piss me off, and more than likely piss Zadien off. She stands for people copying hers, but not for people flaming her friends. Any people who have flamed a friend of hers should know that.


	2. Chapter two

Here's chapter two. Sorry for the wait. I got distracted.

_Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade or Wicca Themes. Amber is Zadiens as is Ruin. Shahero belongs to Coors and Miyami to Unlucky-Star. Anyone else you notice who you don't recognize is mine. _

**_Chapter Two_**

03/09/05

Great, got a new journal and I swear, I will actually write in this one frequently. Maybe actually making some grand gesture of swearing in blood would make me keep the vow… Hmm, there's something to think about. This will double as my Book of Shadows. I plan to get a lock for it, I don't want someONE, namely Kai, coming along and reading this. I doubt he'd approve of me being Wiccan. I should tell him, but for some reason people tend to be very prejudiced against Wiccan. I don't want Kai to be like that, I think he will be though. So, I'll keep this little secret to myself. And even though I write this, I just know that writing something down is the one guaranteed way for someone to discover it. Maybe my subconscious wants him to find it and that way I don't have to tell him and he'd still know… I hate my subconscious.

Oh, we're back to school today. I'm finally a senior and still short… I bet there are freshmen who are taller than I am. Oh well I'll deal with that situation later. I'm getting the funniest feeling, a trickle of dread that tells me not everything is, as it seems. And I worry about it. Sometimes I feel like looking further into my feelings to seek out the truth but I hold back because I'm scared. I sense things around me at times and see things out of the corner of my eye that are not really there. That's part of my reason for turning to Wiccan, to seek out the truth, to find an understanding for what bothers me so much. However, deep down inside, I'm scared of what I'll find. Nevertheless, something's coming, I hope to hell it doesn't involve me, but trouble likes me. A lot! Damn, why'd I have to be so pretty…?

Blessed be

Amber

Preston-Lee Family home 08:00

I jogged down the stairs the next morning in the usual uniform I had to be kitted out in. There was the white blouse, which was a little too long so I had to roll the sleeves up. Then there was the usual skirt and one size to large blazer and I'd rolled my socks down to rest at the top of my flat-soled hiking boots, which were scuffed and scarred.

As I entered the kitchen, Mum was busy packing her brief case while holding a triangle of toast between her teeth. Dad was in his shirt and tie, sipping his coffee and checking the stock reports. I can't really say what my father does because I don't really understand what exactly he does myself. Mainly he goes to work, makes money and comes home again, that's all I know. However, I'm not complaining. From through the arch, Alyssa's laughter came floating through. I could just see her now, curled up on the cream sofa in her thick pastel pink terry cloth robe watching TV while eating cereal.

"Morning honey."

"Morning Mum, morning Daddy."

"Good morning sweetheart." Why do parents add in terms of endearment into sentences like 'good morning'?

Dad folded his newspaper and set it down on the table. "Are you ready for school?"

"My skirt and books say yes; my heart says I'm not." I grumbled as I took my seat beside him.

He patted my hand as he chuckled and looking up at him I felt a deep rooted love for this man who'd taken me into his family and stayed up with me when I was sick. Crane Preston-Lee with his mild green eyes and bronze hair is an amazingly generous and lovely man, even though his enemies would say he's cold hearted even devious. I've no doubt he is, but he's also my father. When he gives his love and more importantly his trust, he gives it absolutely, so it's a deep betrayal when someone throws it back in his face.

That's what Julia did and since she's his flesh and blood, it's going to take her a very long time to earn it back. I worked so hard for his love, affection and especially his trust. It took me a long time to work out I'd always had it, but I'll never do anything to lose it. It means too much.

Mom left a plate of pancakes down in front of me and ran a hand through her soft brown hair. "Do you want a lift, Kirby?"

"Nah, I'm walking with Daichi. He'll be here in a moment."

"What about that Fox kid?" Dad asked, helping himself to a syrup-drenched square of my pancakes.

"Foxy offered." I told him primly knowing about his dislike for Foxy. It's thinly disguised so I'm sure Foxy's noticed it even though he's said nothing, yet. "But it's tradition for me and Daichi to walk to school on the first day of school."

This year though, he'll be able to drive me to school because he got a car for his 16th back in August. It's a cool car, which Seth did up on his own. The rewards of having a mechanic and an ex-race car driver for a father.

"That's nice. Tradition should never be ignored or shoved away."

"Not even to make way for progress?" I asked slyly motioning with a forkful of pancakes.

Dad only smiled blandly before he bit my pancakes off the fork. Scowling I pulled my plate away from him and closer to me.

"I'm going to head off now and possibly snag that parking spot from Monroe this year." Mom decided looking up at the sky as though judging whether she'd need a jacket or not. Sighing she plucked the pale lemon jacket from her chair and shrugged it on. "It's going to get chillier later Kirby, so remember to take your fleece with you/"

I nodded listening to the wisp of Irish through her voice. She crossed to Dad and pecked him on the lips but seemingly, Dad had other plans as he toppled her into his lap. I frowned down at the plate before me trying to block out my mothers giggles and other sounds. Really seeing my parents making out just after eating my breakfast was so not what I wanted to see or hear, so the sharp rap of the knocker on the door was very welcome.

I jumped out of my seat and darted down the hall, bumping my hip off the corner of the telephone table. I winced as it began to smart. I opened the great oak door and blinked at Daichi who stood there in his new uniform. I knew it was new, because he ripped the sleeve of his blazer, there'd been a hole in the knee of his pants and the cuff of his shirt had come clean off in a fight with a senior hothead for which Bryan came along, hauled him off Daichi, and said something that made the senior go pure white. It was so cool, especially since Bryan was only a junior. Though fair enough Bryan's a fairly big guy and is often intimidating without meaning to be. The only person who I can say is utterly fearless of him is Amber, but that's because she adores him and vice versa, or because as she terms it, she's terminally stupid.

"Come in." I invited; stepping back to let him in. "Boy am I glad to see you, they're at it again."

Daichi grimaced. "Same at mine, and then Ozuma spends his time making kissy noises down the phone. It's so gay!"

I laughed. "I dare you to say that to him. He'd deck you again."

"Don't remind me," he moaned mournfully, rubbing his jaw to ease the phantom ache.

"It was a total sucker punch. He couldn't even hit me like a man."

"You couldn't have been feeling very manful when Seth ordered you to pull your pants down so he could tan both your hides!"

"Didn't help with you and Amber howling with laughter."

"We were snickering with dignity." I corrected though he was right. We had been howling with laughter, but we were very dignified about it. I hope.

He 'Hn'd' and grumbled under his breath as he headed to the kitchen, making himself totally at home as he did in every Benson home.

"Hey Chi, why did you knock?" Usually he just walks in the front door, never the back because he's too lazy.

"I didn't." he replied casually pouring himself a cup of coffee. "Hey Anne, Crane, your daughter's hearing things."

"I'm not. You knocked. How else did I know you were at the door?"

"I don't know. All I know is that I never knocked. I'd just strolled up as you opened the door."

"I never heard anyone knock." Mom said as she got off Dads' lap and brushed down her skirt, smoothing out the creases.

"Not surprising." I muttered. She sent me a look through the mirror as she reapplied her lippie, while Dad winked at me. I rolled my eyes. "Someone knocked." I stated.

"Who knocked?" Alyssa wondered as she shuffled into the kitchen and dumped her empty dishes in the sink.

"Daichi."

Alyssa cast him a curious glance. "Oh, I never heard you knocking."

I gaped at her. The TV was _not_ that loud. "But… how else did I know DC was there?"

"Maybe you sensed him." Alyssa gasped with a smirk, wiggling her fingers in front of my face.

I batted them away. "Piss off!" I snapped grouchily. I heard a knock, didn't I? Of course I did.

"Well whatever. DC, we should get going."

Daichi made a face. I wasn't too thrilled about going back to school either, but still there was a little flutter of excitement at the prospect of seeing my friends again. Though I knew at the end of this year, my older friends would be leaving, including Amber, Kai, Ozuma, Bryan and Tala. It would be weird not seeing them around but I still had this year to be teased mercilessly by Tala about a crush I had on him when I was twelve. It's completely understandable; Tala is a capital H-O-T, Hot! Even Amber can admit he's probably the most perfect male specimen that she's ever seen and she's seen loads. Bakuten's like a bishi magnet. All hot guys are drawn here like moths to the flame. Of course, Amber's feelings for Tala are strictly platonic. If they weren't… I shuddered. Wrong.

"Come on DC."

"I'm coming." he sighed. "Hey are you taking English this year Aunty Anne?"

"Yes."

"Ooh." he rubbed his hands together mischievously. "I hope I get you."

"Who are the alternatives?" I wondered. No Mrs. King, please no Mrs. King.

"Mr. Landon or Mrs. King." Damn!

Daichi and I both groaned while Alyssa chuckled. "Mom, I've never asked you to abuse your position as a member of the faculty, but please, please don't let me be in Mrs. King's class, she hates me! She keeps comparing me to Lyss and Jules. Sometimes she even compares me to Ozuma and that's just not fair!"

Daichi cast me a look of pure sympathy. "Same here."

Sometimes it's not cool having to live up to your far superior and more intelligent siblings. "Please mum, I wouldn't ask but it's really a life or death situation. You didn't like her when you met her, did you dad?"

Dad shook his head. "She didn't like my mother, probably holds that against you."

"She liked me well enough." Alyssa said with a delicate shrug.

How couldn't she? "You're a straight A student Lyss, you're every teachers wet dream!"

"Kirby!" Mum reprimanded me sharply.

"She likes Amber too." My sister pointed out and I damned her logic.

"Amber's too damn likeable. Besides King probably has a crush on James or something."

Daichi shuddered. "Ooh, that brought all sorts of images to my head; all very nasty and vomit worthy."

"Kirby you will take whatever teacher you are given and you will accept them graciously."

I wanted to roll my eyes at the tone but I didn't want to be bold after all she's my mother, if it wasn't for her I'd be in a home or worse. "Yes ma'am."

"You too Daichi."

"Yes'm."

We both stood there looking sheepish as Alyssa grinned. Dad got to his feet, kissing Mum's cheek, and heading out to fetch his jacket and brief case.

"Now you two better get going. You don't want to be late on your first day back."

"Right, right, we're going. Just a minute Daz, I gotta get my bag."

"Don't forget your jacket." Mum called after me as I jogged up the stairs.

My feet slapped against the wooden floor as I headed to get to my room. My room was my own personal sanctuary. It was pine, like the rest of the house since Mum had a penchant for it, though I wouldn't' have minded something dark, like mahogany. My computer or laptop to be exact, and it was my sister's old one that Kenny had upgraded, sat on the study table. The bed was by the window and the walls were a primrose with a pale blue trim. Posters had left faded paint splotches and chipped bits. I guess it was cheery, but it wasn't pink and I'm going to paint it at Halloween or the midterm break.

I crossed to my closet where I kept my clothes, even though I had a walk-in wardrobe I hardly ever used since I had a distinct lack of clothing to put in it. I swung open the door, catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I usually looked good in the uniform and today was no different. I tugged out my back pack which was a faded denim bag with people's names signed in correction fluid and bits and pieces sewed on courtesy of Miyami when she'd been bored on a school outing.

As I tugged it out, I caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye, surprised I yelped and dropped my bag. Turning with my pulse thundering, I breathed a sigh of relief and laughed at myself. Just my reflection. Silly. Yet, even as I laughed, I felt a niggle of doubt, that I hadn't just seen my reflection.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Daichi and I were laughing over my little incident. 

"Oh I wish I'd been there to see your face."

"I think I was suitably humiliated without your help! Thank you very much."

"Don't get thick with me."

I sighed. "Oh, I'm not, I just feel edgy today. I didn't mean to take it out on you, Daz."

"No problemo. I am Daichi Benson, the human punch bag."

I gazed levelly at him, wishing I hadn't snapped at him. Then he laughed and I scowled, realizing that he was just messing with me.

I growled. "Idiot."

"Aw I wuv you too."

I grinned, hooked my arm through his, and leaned my head on his shoulder as he guided us down the promenade, a cobblestone street, flanked with large Victorian style houses with shops and offices. A gazebo stood at the end of the street where a live band usually played to the town square on Weekends. A small thatched roofed building was tucked to the side, Sam's bard. As I looked at it, a figure darted out of the front door and into a silvery black Nissan Skyeliner.

"Ruin's getting an early start." Daz commented.

"She's probably sorting out her work hours for this week." I mused.

"Maybe but I heard a rumor that she moved out of home."

I blinked at him surprised. I hadn't heard that and Amber was Ruin's best friend, or as close to a best friend that the lukewarm Goth girl would allow. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen her or her car around my neighborhood recently. Woah."

"Yeah." Daichi whispered. Like me, I doubt he could ever imagine living away from home while still at high school. "I guess her parents are keeping it pretty hush-hush."

"Would smear their precious reputation as the most perfect people in the world. Self proclaimed." I added darkly. It made me feel bad for Ruin but I doubt she's want my sympathy. She's so self-sufficient. Speaking of… "Oh Daichi, remind me to go to the drug store on my way home."

Daichi's gaze whipped to mine concerned. "Why?"

"Because." I squirmed uncomfortably, wishing I hadn't brought this up.

"Because?" He pressed.

"Because I need pads." I mumbled it quickly. _Please drop it; please god just let him drop it._

Daichi laughed. "What pads would you get at a drug store?"

I looked at him steadily. _Oh, you are not that simple_.

Suddenly it struck him with the force of a lightning bolt. His eyes popped wide and his coloring darkened to almost the same shade of his hair. "Oh those kind of pads."

His embarrassment made mine pass. "Oh Daichi come on, a period is a perfectly natural part of a woman's life."

"Hmm." he murmured as we walked down past the town hall where the town meetings were held once a month on a Wednesday night at eight, so the inhabitants could discuss everything that involved the town. "So what's it like?"

I shrugged. Did this strike anyone else as weird? "I don't know. Normal I suppose." he looked at me as though I was doting, but then again I wasn't exactly feeling quite sane discussing periods with my male cousin. I barely discuss them with my sisters or Amber. "I've gotten used to them, so much so that I can forget I'm having one. I'm pretty lucky, really, I know some girls who bleed so heavily that they have to change during the night and their cramps-"

"OK! Way, way, WAY too much info cuz." his voice was slightly high and his face was pale except for the bloom of color on his cheeks.

I laughed. "Sorry Daz."

"Yeah." he swallowed and I chuckled.

"You'll make a great boyfriend, being so understanding."

Daichi fell silent and I knew he was thinking of his one sided crush on Miyami. Poor wee darling. "She's with Johnny." I said gently.

His features darkened. "I know."

"He's good for her. Just…" I trailed off not knowing how to ease his pain. I wish I could have acted outraged on his behalf but the fact was I'd always been kind of rooting for Miyami and Johnny before and after finding out about Daz's crush on her. They were just meant to be and she and Daz weren't.

"So, um, anyway I uh, saw Miguel this morning." He changed the subject, so I let him.

"Oh?" I tried to keep the disinterest for the subject out of my voice.

"Yeah, he's looking very well despite the rain in England."

Rain in England is hardly much worse than rain in New England but I didn't say so. "Good for him."

"Yeah. He wanted to give me a lift to school in his kick ass Beemer, but, yeah, you know, I had to walk with you."

I glowered at him, feeling enraged. "Excuse me, but didn't I say that Foxy would give me a lift? And you threw a hissy fit!" I pointed out bitterly.

"I wasn't trying to-"

"Yes you were."

His nostrils flared. "No I wasn't."

"Yes you were."

"No-"

"Oh hold up till I get some popcorn!" a female voice said from in front of us.

I looked up and realized that we'd reached the park. Shahero Kaeto, who spoke, sat on the steps in front of us leaning forward and resting her folded arms on her upright skateboard.

"He/She started it!" we both accused with pointed fingers.

"I don't really care." You're both wrong and I am right, because I am the Queen of Insanity and you'll all bow to me!" She declared, her bright blue eyes challenging us to counter her. Do we look stupid?

"DUDE!" A heavy weight collided with me and forced me to stumble and brace, or hit the ground face first. "You're alive!"

"Not for long." I wheezed.

"Get off her, you moron." Daichi muttered, relieving me of the weight that was Tyson Kinomiya, my friend, Amber's next-door neighbor and Miyami's cousin.

"Nice to see you too man." The navy haired teen grumbled adjusting his cap.

I surveyed him affectionately. In my own way, I love Tyson. I love his ability to speak his mind, admire his need to protect and help each of his friends, his restless energy only rivaled by his appetite for food, his boundless enthusiasm and endless strength. His boyishly handsome face, which had hollowed out some during the summer. The dark brown eyes, which had changed from navy when he hit puberty. His warm grin, a white flash in that sun tanned face. In addition, that long lean frame, which must have an incredible metabolism to eat so much and gain next to nothing. How could I not love this guy as a brother? He's a close to me as Daichi and Joseph. Some times more because he can make me laugh like no one else can.

I left the two boys insulting each other as a sign of affection and crossed over to Shahero, Amber's stepsister though they might as well have been blood sisters. They are so close and understand each other without saying a word. They share the same problems of being short; thought Shahero is a couple of inches shorter than my cousin is. Shahero prefers to use her fists in a fight; Amber prefers her mouth. Shahero is more daring than Amber and loads more confident and sure of herself, and where as Amber bruises easily, Shahero hardly bruises at all. They make quite a pair. Shahero acts and Amber thinks, sometimes. They are a killer team and stand by each other.

Shahero has short black hair, which falls to her shoulders and is streaked with silver not gold. Big blue eyes and a damn-you-all mouth, her skin tone is Japanese pale and her petite slender stature is incredibly deceptive. I think she rocks big time, and why not? She can kick a guy's ass without breaking a sweat. Damn right, she's cool.

"Hey bitch." I greeted dropping down beside her.

"Some day you'll say that to the wrong person and get your ass kicked."

"Yeah probably. I'll come hire you if I do. Family discount."

She snorted and rolled her eyes, leaning back to absorb the sun's warmth. Her sleeves were ripped off to reveal a tat of thorns pricking flesh. Her skirt was pulled over a pair of black skater pants.

"Why didn't you get a lift with Kai and Amber?" I wondered, tilting up my face to be kissed by the suns rays. I closed my eyes and was lost in orange light.

"To hear their gooey talk? I think I'd rather have my brain burst one cell at a time," she grumbled.

I winced seeing the pain flash into those blue, blue eyes. Last Summer Hitoshi, Tyson's older brother, had been paying a _lot_ of attention to Shahero, and when she began to reciprocate those feelings, she caught him making out with Kali Quinn or Queen, as she likes to be known by us commoners. The thing is that Hitoshi now acts as if everything he did last summer never happened. It's weird and it really hurt Shahero. Feeling bad for the girl who had adopted me as a younger sister, I attempted to lighten the mood.

"So you actually think you have a brain?" I teased.

She stuck out her tongue. "More of one than you do."

"Hey, I have a brain."

"Yeah it just goes on long continuous vacations."

Tyson laughed and hi-fived Shahero.

"C'mon rug rats, I have to escort you to school."

* * *

By the time we reached Bakuten High, which over looked the cornflower blue sea, looking ancient and mystical in its Queen Anne Red brick, students were already head into the main building. We followed the majority. Shahero dropped her board and began to push herself along navigating herself through the student hoard.

"Hey Hero where are you meeting your group?"

By rights, Shahero should be in my year but she was boosted up a year. Supposedly for being smart. I have, yet, to see this fabled smartness, but supposedly, it's there like oxygen, you know it's there but you just can't see it. Or that's how Amber once described it.

"I don't know…" if she was going to say more she never got the chance as a figure fell into step beside us.

"Hey bro, Benson brats… Kaeto."

There! See! There is a funny note to his voice when he says her name. I could almost here Amber bouncing around on the spot shouting. We'd been discussing this, a couple of days ago and Amber had told me to listen out for it. Reluctantly I had to admit, she was right. There was an off note to his tone when he spoke her name. Not the lust filled drawl and there was no trace of her usual arrogance, it wasn't disinterest or casualness either. It almost sounded confused… Men!

Each of us fell into an uncomfortable silence.

"Oh there's Kane, I'll see you guys later."

The boys and I exchanged a look. That just show's how uncomfortable Shahero was if she was willing to leave _us_ for _Kane_, who she fights with all the time.

"What was her problem?" Hitoshi asked looking at us.

Tyson shook his head dismally. "You are a piece of work, bro."

"What did I do?"

I looked at Hitoshi. He didn't seem as easy in his skin as he usually did. He's tall, his hair is long, and a slate blue that's loads lighter than Tyson's and it fell choppily to his shoulders so he had to scoop it back out of his face. His heavy lidded brown eyes were lashed thickly and lacking something. He was still arrogantly handsome but it was missing something.

I sighed at how I was sounding, like Fox Mulder from the X-files. It was aliens!

Tyson shook his head again with a sigh. "Nothing."

We opened the doors at the end of the corridor and headed down the steps. Hitoshi left us to find his senior friends.

My friends were assembled around the fountain, well two of them were, the other girls weren't really my friends more like girls I know because they're friends with Mariam Magee. Mariam Magee and I have been friends since we were in kindergarten. She's glamorous and gorgeous and she knows it. She can wear a sweater and jeans and make them look elegant. I guess it has a lot to do with body language and self-confidence. Miyami Kinomiya has it too. Mariam's tall and slender, not skinny; she has curves in all the right places. She's every guys dream girl. Flirtatious, strong, confident and dislikes possessiveness and strings of all shapes and sizes. She's also gorgeous. Her long royal blue hair falls to her waist with thick bangs framing her face. Her eyes are the same jade green of Joseph. Her skin is flawless and creamy though that doesn't mean she doesn't wear makeup. She does, I just haven't figured out why. It's not as if she needs to, as I do. However, it's her decision.

As we approached, she squealed and leapt to her feet to an animated dance complete with hand movements. After a second her clique joined in, it was only as I approached that I realized they were trying to swat away a wasp. Joe sat there and roared with laughter as the girls squealed and whimpered, jittering this way and that. God knows what the wasp was thinking. Maybe he thought Mariah Tanaka was a five foot six" rose. I blinked surprised as Mariah ran straight into Rei Kon, her crush and coincidentally enough, my friend Salima's too.

I can see why, Rei is the star of the hockey team with his agility, leadership qualities, sense of fair play and his vicious desire to win. He's also very pretty, one of the prettiest senior boys. You can't really call him handsome because his looks are too bordering on feminine at times and he's often too nice for his own good. However, I can understand why Salima and Mariah like him apart from the nice guy vibes that just waft off him. His eyes are golden, like molten gold. His skin is smooth and the skin tone is the tanned hue of China. His hair is raven black, silky and long to his ankles, I think, but it's braided so it doesn't get in his way and most time you'd think it's short.

Rei immediately caught and steadied her then smiled kindly which sent Mariah into blush dome. When he released her to head to school, she stumbled to back to Mariam and Hillary and there was a lot of nudging and teasing. Girl bonding at it's best.

"Don't they realize how obvious they're being?" Daichi wondered.

"When have you known those three to be subtle?" Tyson demanded. "Look at Mariah's hair for Gods sake!"

I laughed despite myself, then nudged them to be silent as we arrived beside them in time to hear Hillary's coaxing.

"Mariah, you should totally go for it. He's so into you. After all, you have more chance than Salima."

Unfortunately, Hillary missed M&M's frantic waving until it was too late. She looked round and squirmed uneasily. "Oh, um, hi Kirby."

Tyson, feeling my unease, looped his arm around me. "And that ladies and gentlemen was Hillary, Queen of Tact. Her special ability is not being able to keep her big fat mouth shut."

"Oh drop dead, Kinomiya."

"Only after you, so I can find out where you're buried and get as far away as possible."

"Someone fetch a diaper, Tyson's got diarrhea of the mouth again!"

"At least I don't look like I'm constipated while sucking on a prune!"

The rest of us stood back as they got nose to nose, both seething in self-righteous fury. Any minute now…

"Children, Children." a smooth masculine voice drawled mockingly from behind me. Everyone slumped and groaned while I tensed in anticipation. Arms encircled me in their strong embrace. I leaned back into my boyfriend and felt a surge of warmth and comfort at his nearness as well as an itch that crawled through me, a need to scratch followed. As though sensing my need, his large warm hands gripped my waist firmly and kept me in my place.

"Ugh, I'm out of here." Tyson snarled turning and stalking off. Hillary stomped off in the opposite direction.

"I just saw the second floor janitors closet being vacated, if you guys wanted to meet up and sort things out."

Tyson glared back and gave Foxy the bird. Hillary said nothing.

"Damn, I really thought they were going to kiss then." Mariah sighed.

I said nothing though I caught the roll of my cousin's eyes and felt Joe's reaction was similar. I don't think I'd subject anyone to Hillary, not even my worst enemy, never mind my best friend. It's not that she's not a nice girl. She's extremely pretty, with the cute bob of chestnut hair and the matching eyes and fresh feminine face. Generally, she's smart and responsible but she's just soo bossy. It drives me insane at times; I just want to tell her that the world won't end if she takes a break.

"In front of all of us?" Foxy questioned in a tone that suggested he didn't agree.

"Well now we'll never know." Mariam scowled looking pointedly at my boyfriend.

I sighed. Mariam and Foxy really didn't get along and quite honestly, I don't know why. However, it's their choice and it's not my problem. I just wish that they could call a truce for my sake because they both pull me in two different directions. I wondered idly if Tala had had the same problems when Amber and Kai fought all the time, then again, they got together in the end, so Tala wouldn't be feeling so torn anymore and besides, he knew why Kai had been so miffed with Amber. She of course had been oblivious. This is nothing like that situation.

"So where were you on Saturday night? I called and you weren't home."

I winced. Saturday nights, Mariam phones and we talk for half an hour then usually I'll go round to Foxy's. "Oh, I got kidnapped outside the Friar's Rest by Ams and Shahero and dragged up to theirs to play street hockey."

"Oh, ok." Since it wasn't Foxy who'd taken me away, Mariam relaxed. "So was Hitoshi there?"

I tried to remember while at the same time I wondered why she wanted to know. Then mentally I groaned, why else? "Well yeah, after all he lives next door to _Shahero_." I wondered if she got the subtle point. Possibly.

"Is he at school today?"

No, she didn't get it. "Yeah he was speaking to _Shahero_ and me earlier." I didn't out and out lie, just came close.

"Hitoshi's taken, find yourself another victim." Foxy bit off coolly.

I groaned. Great, just great.

"Bite me." Mariam snapped, grabbing her shoulder bag and storming off, royal blue hair swinging with each step. Mariah looked between us; then chased after my best friend.

Daichi and Joe exchanged glances before they too left, both giving me a subtle wave. Sighing woefully, I turned to James Fox. My best friend and love, my other best friend's bane. His hair is pure sunshine gold, silky and parted into wings. His eyes are a bright, brilliant blue, like the sky on a summer's day, warm and open. His face is gorgeous, he really had to be the most gorgeous boy I'd ever set my eyes on, well apart from his cousin Tala but if he doesn't stir your juices, nothing will. The body pressed against me was warm, hard and trim. As for personality wise, when he's not winding up Mariam, he's friendly, driven, has a healthy ego and he puts up with my family's eccentric ways. Brownie points for him.

"I wish you and Mariam didn't fight so much."

"It's not that I want to fight with her, Kirbs." he said with a sigh, his arm wrapping loosely around my shoulders, urging me closer as he guided me back into school. "She just gets on my nerves."

"I guess, but me and her have been friends for a really long time and it's down-"

"I know, I know. You feel some kind of duty to her, but if she really were your friend then she wouldn't make you feel as though you owe her anything."

That made me frown because it was very true but all the same. "She's my friend."

"Ok." he replied simply but I got the hint that everything wasn't ok. I felt weird, wrong and there was a tickle at the base of my gut. It felt as though someone was tickling my bladder with a feather, not a particularly nice feeling, and it made me want to squirm.

We entered the school and looked around at the bustle of students that wandered down the halls. I spotted a few people I recognized but I didn't pay them much attention. I waved over at Emily Davenport as she talked to her boyfriend Max Tate and the computer geek Kenny.

"Did you hear about Miguel?" I finally asked.

Foxy tensed, his arm tightening around me for half a second. "Yeah I heard he's back."

"You're not going to do anything stupid, are you?"

He turned to me and smiled, his blue eyes darkening. "Like what?"

I jerked one shoulder. "I dunno, something guy like."

He laughed richly and it rolled over me like a wave of heat. I shivered delicately. "Don't worry I won't kick his head in, if that's what you mean."

"That's good to hear."

We both froze at the smooth accented voice that interrupted our conversation, and then finally Foxy turned round. I followed and stared shocked at the tall figure in front of me. It didn't take much to tell me that this was Miguel Davidoff in front of me. His pale platinum hair was still in that ridiculous style he'd sported when he'd been younger. It was parted in the middle and looked like a wild untamed mane. His eyes were still as clear as lake water, not quite blue and not quite gray. There were caught in the middle and so very clear. His skin was bronzed from his mother and he had the sharp aristocratic bone structure from the Russian side of his family. His brow was high, arched, his cheekbones prominent, and hollowed beneath. His mouth was full and serious but not in any way feminine.

He'd changed subtly. For one he was taller, he stood over a head taller than I did and I didn't like the way he looked down on me. His build was rangy and lean, his legs made up most of his height. He stood tall and commanding, an authoritive air surrounding him as though he were in control of his emotions and the world around him. He didn't look phased by the fact that he was coming back to the home he'd left so long ago and he didn't look the least bit unnerved by the fact that he was staring down his half brother who had always stood out against him. Yet looking back at my memories, Miguel always seemed the more formidable of the two. Foxy although bright and shiny didn't hold attention the way Miguel could by just entering a room without a word.

"James, it's good to see you again." Oh yeah, he'd gotten the Oxford accent and it didn't make him sound the least bit pompous.

"I can't say the same Miguel." Foxy's broad American accent -which never stood out much before- was clipped and formal. He sounded pompous… How very odd.

Miguel's attention then turned to Foxy's companion, namely me. "Kirby." he rolled my name out as though savoring it and had me cringing in reaction. "You have changed."

I gave that gallic half shrug again. "I grew up."

"And you're dating James?" he inquired politely.

"Yes she is, dear brother." Foxy mocked his accent. "Now if you'll excuse us, we have places to go, people to see."

"Yes of course you do. I'll see you both later, I'm sure." with that he smiled and I felt a spark somewhere deep inside. He turned around and left, striding off down the corridor with the students seeming to part before him like Moses and the red sea.

I rubbed my arms feeling suddenly chilled to the bones. "That was creepy."

"Yeah, you're telling me."

"People are not that formal in England." I said with an almost surety. I had visited my Nana in Ireland many a time and had listened to the English radio stations and watched the English TV channels and I knew that they weren't that formal. Something was very wrong with Miguel Davidoff and that bothered me. The feeling of dread increased and I groaned. I felt sick and even though it sounded utterly stupid, I had the funniest instinct that the feeling had something to do with the platinum haired half brother of my boyfriend.

* * *

_Beyblade-gal_:_ 50 times? Wow. Well I guess I did leave it a long time between posts. Been caught up in school stuff and the like. Enjoy this chapter. _

_WindWitch: Oh thank you for the compliment. It helps that I can look at Zadien's stuff and see where I'm going wrong and such. Miguel and Mikel are one and the same. The title means Sorcerer/magician/witch in Irish. You figured it out, wasn't too difficult me thinks then again, I could twist it all._

_Kusu rana: LOL well it's handy you don't know how. I wish more people didn't, it's very mean to take someone's work and degrade it like that. LOL Like Kai would let his Ember die out from the cold, -grins-_

_ArcadaAvalonWow it's one of the famous Octopussy owners, lol. I'm so honoured you reviewed. Foxy and Miguel are half brothers, they share a dad and Tala is their cousin. Kirby is starting High School as a junior and Alyssa is going to college. The title means person of magic in Irish. Like witch or sorcerer. I hope you like this chapter too. _

_Vinter: What was disturbing for you? Your sister or the fact that she was doing sit ups voluntarily because that's what's disturbing to me, lol. But I'm so glad you like this. _

_Coors: It's the illustrious Coors, cool! Aw thanks, I'll hold you to that. Yeah I just didn't like how the fics were just like every other one out there. I may return to do some work on Desiring Magick. _

_Smiley-Joe: Miguel hasn't shown up that much yet so his piece is very little at the moment. Oh I'm glad Amber's in Character, so many people adore her, I wouldn't want to get her wrong. I think the family is an ideal, everyone wants a family like that. But they're still wicked cool. I'd love an uncle like Seth, he'd rock! Sorry about the late post. _

_AlexysWell I hope you like this chapter too. I should really thank Zadien for the plugs she gives Kirby and Miguel. _

_Cokey: Aw thanks babes. You're a star! Oh and thanks for typing some of that crap for me when I couldn't be arsed. Hope this chapter is good too._

_Destructive Habit: Oh the Benson family is complex. But I guess it's not too bad, I'm used to large families but when it's someone else's it is confusing, lol. Man my grammar and spelling are crap so please forgive me. _

_And there we go for another chapter. _


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